Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Studio Gainax and Hideaki Anno and Utraman is owned by Tsuburaya Productions

Chapter 4: Being Human

Shinji and Ayanami sat at her usual lunch area, facing each other. Ever since the battle with the Fifth Angel, Shinji has had a lot of questions, which Ayanami, and the Silver Giant too he supposed, are more than willing to answer.

Shinji rubbed the temple of his head. An alien from an alternate universe? One who is a member of some sort of Space Police who fought on another Earth before, fighting alien invaders and kaiju? Combine that with everything about the Angels and this is all too much for him.

"No offense to you or the Sil– Mebius-san, but this is very unbelievable, you know?" Shinji groaned.

As usual, Ayanami took a while to answer. "Ultraman Mebius says 'no offense taken.' But it's all true. He showed me."

That made Shinji's eyes widen. "He brought you to his universe?!"

Ayanami shook her head. "No, I've simply been shown images of his world, the Land of Light, as well as his Earth."

Shinji nodded as he took it all in. Sure, it's unbelievable, but so are the Angels, the Evangelion, Pen Pen, everything about this world really. A little more madness won't hurt anyone.

Except him, stuck in the middle of it all.

"What's it like," Shinji asked, deciding to just roll with it. And besides, he's curious how two separate people can just fuse into one, and how that relationship works.

"It's similar to being in an Eva, actually,"answered Ayanami. "But with a much deeper bond. We share the same body, but I am not in control. It's almost like what happened when I lost control of my Eva."

Shinji winced. He may not have been there, but he could only imagine that it was probably not pleasant. Ayanami (or maybe it was Mebius) took notice of his discomfort and added, "It's not exactly the same, though. I do not feel like I'm being forced to act against my will. If that incident is me being dominated, then becoming Ultraman Mebius is me acting as copilot."

Ayanami went quiet again before saying, "He says that it feels the same for him."

"So Mebius-san, he can just talk to you? Doesn't it feel weird?"

"Not at all. It's the same as talking to you or anyone else."

"That's not what I meant," Shinji sighed. "He knows and sees everything that you're doing. Aren't you bothered by that?"

"No." Why did Shinji even think that Ayanami would respond any differently?

Shinj remembered something. Before he found out about the two of them, she was already alluding to their bond. "You were going to tell me, even before I found out. Why?"

"We trust you." A sudden response. These are Ayanami's own thoughts. No, both of them agreed to this. It gave Shinji weird feelings inside. It's a nice feeling.

"What about my father? Does he know?"

"No. Ultraman Mebius believes we should refrain from telling other NERV personnel."

"And you're fine with that?"

"I'm… not," Ayanami admitted. "But I respect Ultraman Mebius and accept his reasoning. His operation would be complicated if we were to be found out."

"Yo Shinji!" Shinji heard the voice of Toji call to him He turned to see him as well as Kensuke approach their table

"Oh, Ayanami-san," Kensuke greeted, both he and Touji sporting looks of surprise seeing the normally isolated girl with him.

Ayanami nodded in acknowledgement.

"Can we sit here?" he asked. Ayanami turned to Shinji, giving the choice to him.

Well, he supposed all that stuff with Mebius could wait later. "Sure."

The two took their seats. "You usually eat alone, Ayanami-san," Touji observed, looking like he's weirded out by the concept of speaking to Ayanami Rei. "You're eating with Shinji now?"

"Of course," said Ayanami. "We're friends after all."

Shinji stopped himself from sputtering as his face reddened. Touji and Kensuke were taken aback by her declaration.

Ayanami suddenly stood up. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

As soon as she was out of earshot, Touji turned to Shinji. "So, whatcha did to her?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"W-What are you talking about?" Shinji stammered, although he had an idea what's going on in his mind right now.

"You know what we're talking about," Kensuke decided to join in. "Ayanami never talked to anyone until you came along. Now here she is sitting with you, calling you her 's a very sudden development from her, you know?"

"So what, are you two doing more than just piloting?" said Touji with a tone that hints to something naughty.

Well, he did saw her naked and touched her– THAT'S NOT THE POINT! "It's not like that! We were just talking about last night."

Thankfully, this managed to shift Kensuke's attention. "Oh yeah! That nationwide blackout. That was you, right?"

"Yeah," Shinji nodded. He probably shouldn't be telling them that, but he knows they won't blab and it was pretty obvious.

"Must be tough, if you need all that power," Touji remarked.

"Did the Silver Giant appear?" Kensuke asked.

"No," Shinji answered, again feeling confident that what he's revealing to them isn't anything damning.

Kensuke looked disappointed. "Huh. I thought with how much power you needed, he would've been useful. His beam seems very powerful."

"Yeah, I thought that would've been enough," said Touji.

"He does not need to be there." All three boys jumped as Ayanami suddenly returned, having done her business.

"Humanity should be able to take care of itself, and the giant knows that. He will not interfere if he is not needed."

"I guess you're right," Kensuke shrugged. He looked at Ayanami with excitement."So Ayanami-san, it's your first time sortieing, right? What was it like?"

"Good," she answered. She turned to Shinji. "It was a bonding experience."

Shinji felt his cheeks turn pink as Toji and Kensuke turned to him with curiosity. Toji grinned.

"Care to elaborate, Ayanami-san?"

Before Shinji could stop her, Ayanami was already talking. "My Eva was down. Ikari-kun took out the entry plug and forcibly opened it by himself. He discovered an important secret of mine that I no longer mind hiding from him. I too learned so much that day," Ayanami gave a small smile as she recounted those previous events, surprising their two classmates.

Ayanami paused, her look telling Shinji that Mebius was coaching her on what to say.

"Of course, we already shared a bond when he visited my home."

Once again, Toji and Kensuke turned to him with such speed that Shinj was surprised their necks didn't break. "YOU WHAT?!"

"Wait, it's not–" Shinji tried to explain, but Ayanami kept on going.

"I was in the shower at the time. When I got out, I saw that he was meddling with an item of mine. When I tried to take it back, he tripped and he fell on top of me." A pause, Ayanami looked confused.

"His hand also touched my breast," she said, sounding uncertain about what that fact has to do with anything.

The two stared at Ayanami, then Shinji, their jaws hanging open. Shinji can only hang his head in horror and despair as Ayanami and the silver giant expose one of the few things he'd rather be lost to time.

'Ayanami, Mebius-san. Why would you betray me like this? I thought you're supposed to be heroes.'

"My offer to you is still open," Ayanami said. The two of them are walking home from school together. Touji and Kensuke had bid their farewells, and Shinji can't help but get annoyed at the fact that they're gonna tease him over this and everything that's happened.

"What?" asked Shinji in confusion.

"If you don't want to, I'll pilot Unit-01."

Shinji was surprised by Ayanami's continued offer. "Wait, why are you still saying that?"

"It's clear that you do not like piloting. I am much more willing to do it, and if things went awry, I can simply switch with Ultraman Mebius. Both of us chose to protect this world after all. You weren't given a choice the first time, but you do now."

Shinji thinks about it. It really would be nice, especially knowing that both Ayanami and Mebius will be there to protect the world. But then they'll be alone. They'll have each other, but still…

"No. I'll continue piloting," He declared. Ayanami tilted her head slightly. "Why?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose I don't want you to take that burden all by yourself either." A faint smile appeared on Shinji's face. "And besides, now I know that I've never been alone. Both of you will fight with me, right?

Ayanami was taken aback as she looked at him in surprise. Shinji swore her cheeks slightly turned pink. She smiled as well.

"Of course. Let's all do our best."

Shinji was sure that it wasn't just Ayanami that said that.

"If you so wish, you can hang out in my place if you like," said Ayanami. "To bond. Ultraman Mebius would appreciate it, as well as I."

"Actually, if we're gonna hang out, can it be in Misato-san's place?" Shinji said. Ayanami's apartment is not exactly what he'd call welcoming (not that Misato's place was any better, but it's lively at least). "Actually, maybe you can go to our place now?" Shinji's eyes widened as he realized what he just said. "I mean, you don't have to or anything–!

However, Ayanami looked like she's considering it and was discussing it with Mebius. After a moment, she said, "we would like that."

Shinji relaxed, glad that Ayanami wasn't put off by his invitation, before his eye began to twitch as he realized that the teasing would most likely follow him home.

Captain Katsuragi's Apartment

"That's a… polka… pingu..." Ultraman Mebius fumbled as he tried to identify the bird sitting with them.

"It's a penguin," Rei corrected.

"Right, thanks."

"Here's dinner, Ayanami," Ikari gave Rei a bowl. He looked disgruntled, but Captain Katsuragi seemed happy with the dish.

It was strange seeing the Captain like this. The few times that she'd observed her, she acted with the professionalism and grace that her rank entails. But here, she's much more relaxed and bubbly. A far cry from the woman leading them in battle. It's as Ultraman Mebius said, she supposed. People are complex and have multiple sides to them. This is an example of that it seems.

Rei looked at the dish served. Curry. Ultraman Mebius was excited to eat, but his emotions turned into horror once they saw what the Captain was planning to eat.

"What the heck is she doing?!'' Ultraman Mebius exclaimed as Captain Katsuragi has Ikari put her share of the curry in her cup of instant ramen

Ikari looked at his guardian in exasperation. Rei had to admit, what she was doing was strange, but she's not one to judge other people's preferences. Rei removed her focus on the captain and ate her own portion of the curry. It tasted… weird, to put it simply. Not like other food she's eaten, but it's fine. She was never picky with her food.

Ultraman Mebius had a much stronger reaction.

"Oh God!" he sputtered. "How- How could anyone ruin curry!"

Rei wasn't sure why he's acting like so. It's just food after all. Although she noticed that even Ikari seemed mildly disgruntled by Captain Katsuragi's dish. The penguin had hurried out of the room the moment he saw what was being served. Captain Katsuragi seems to be the only one who actually likes what they are eating.

Rei continued to eat, ignoring Ultraman Mebius' desperate plea for her to stop until he eventually went quiet.

"Sorry for this, Ayanami," said Ikari, his face showing embarrassment.

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic," said Captain Katsuragi. "She's clearly enjoying it, right, Rei-chan?"

Rei gave a noncommittal shrug. Captain Katsuragi took this as a sign of approval.

"See Shinji-kun? I swear, people these days are so picky." Captain Katsuragi drank from her beer can. Apparently, she does this a lot.

Ikari looked at his guardian in annoyance, although Rei could see the hint of a smile forming on his face. Curious. Maybe she should ask Ikari about his feelings towards his guardian, they seem contradictory at the moment. Although asking in front of her might be rude.

"Please, Master Taro. Can't I rest for five minutes…?" Ultraman Mebius suddenly interjected in a daze.

Humans, Ultras, penguins. Strange creatures, all of them

The days passed. No Angel has appeared so far, although Unit-01 was used to help stop a malfunctioning rival mecha of some sorts. Other than that, it's been quiet and uneventful.

Rei has begun hanging out with Ikari and his friends more in school. She doesn't talk much, but she's present. Suzuhara and Aida don't seem to mind her at all. In fact, Aida is very inquisitive about the inner workings of NERV and takes any opportunity he has to ask her about it. Of course, she will refuse to entertain his questions, as she is not allowed to speak about such things with civilians.

However, on this particular day, Rei decided not to join them in one of their endeavors. Major Katsuragi invited Ikari's two friends to witness the arrival of the Second Child.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Ayanami?" Ikari asked.

"It's for the best. This operation must be discreet. It wouldn't bode well to have two pilots to be seen in the vicinity."

"I see," nodded Ikari. "Will you be fine alone?"

"I will," She assured him. "And I'm not alone. Now go. You don't want to keep Captain Katsuragi waiting."

Rei watched the three boys head off. She noticed that the class representative was watching them as well. Specifically, Suzuhara.

Ultraman Mebius whispered something to her (she's not really sure why he's whispering when she's the only one who could hear him). It was a strange request, but she has long since accepted that the giant can be weird at times so she didn't question it and decided to humor him..

Rei approached the class representative, and she told her, "If you wanted to go with them, you should've just asked."

Her cheeks turned red. "W-What are you saying, Ayanami-san? Why would I want to go with them?"

Rei wondered why the class representative was embarrassed. They're not bad people, so she should be fine with them, right?

Well, she was looking at Suzuhara specifically. Suddenly, things began to make sense in her mind.

"I see. You want to be with Suzuhara all by yourself."

"What?! Don't be ridiculous," she denied.

Ultraman Mebius whispered something again. "So, if I were to ask him out, you would not object?"

"You wha– I mean–" she fumbled, her face now completely red.

Ultraman Mebius gave her the go to stop their ruse. "Don't worry, I'm not interested. You need to be more honest with your feelings."

The class representative visibly calmed down, although she refused to look Rei in the eye. "I didn't think you'd have a bad personality, Ayanami-san."

Rei was confused. She didn't do anything wrong as far as she knows. Why would she call her bad?

"Don't worry, that's a good thing." Ultraman Mebius assured her. "That means you're opening up to others and they're acknowledging it."

"Oh. So it's a compliment?"

"More or less."

Ayanami thought it would be best to show her gratitude. "Thank you. I've been learning."

The class representative grumbled something. She then looked at Rei and asked, "is it really obvious?"

"Yes," said Rei and Ultraman Mebius in unison.

The class representative looked unsure before asking, "well, you eat lunch with them all the time, so do you think…?" She looked a bit hopeful, but prepared to face disappointment.

"Oh, I'm sure he likes you too," said Rei, making the Class Representative blush some more.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone knows about you two at this point," said Ultraman Mebius. "If even Ayanami-san can notice…"

Rei continued. "He's a little rough ("and perverted," added Ultraman Mebius. "But don't tell her that!"), but he's a good person. He'll make a good partner as well."

"Y-You think so?"

"You can sit in with us tomorrow if you wish," Rei suggested. "Then we'll figure it out from there."

Rei offered to help the class representative with some of her duties, talked some more, and even exchanged phone numbers before going their separate ways. Rei goes on to address the Ultraman.

"What was that?" questioned Rei.

"Eh, I'm just bored. Didn't think you'd go all out and set them up though."

"If they like each other, should they not act out on their desires?" Rei reasoned. In her mind, it's simply natural, and she doesn't understand why she and an alien from another dimension have to interfere.

"How I wish everyone has your childlike innocence. I should introduce you to Sora and Ribut"

"I do not know who those are." After a moment, she then asked, "What about you? Do you have any significant other?"

"Well there was this one girl…" Rei felt Ultraman Mebius try to shake her head. "Never mind, forget it." For some reason, he sounded sad.

"A human?" Rei guessed.

Ultraman Mebius remained silent. Rei was about to let the topic go, until he started talking again.

"I really wanted it to happen, you know? If I could, I would've stayed on my Earth and lived my life with everyone I cared about, but it's not possible. Everyone on Earth knew who I was, and I knew that I have a much longer life than them. I couldn't take that thought, so I had to leave." His voice was melancholic, filled with regrets.

Rei didn't know what to tell him. She does not know how he feels. Compared to him, she has a short life not meant to last. She is prepared to die if needed. She is expendable, she embraced dying to gain her peace.

Does she?

Of course. There's no question. She is prepared to face her death, if that means… that means…

Ikari-kun, classmates, Ultraman Mebius, Captain Katsuragi…

Commander Ikari…

Why did she think about them?

She would die for them? But why? What are these feelings?

Rei didn't have an answer for her own musings, so she and Ultraman Mebius stayed silent on the way home, lost in thought.

"She might have been cute, but, man, what a shrew!" Suzuhara complained.

A day has passed since the three boys met the Second Child (and a surprise appearance from the Sixth Angel), and by the sound of it, she didn't leave a good impression.

"A girl that they don't like. She must've been something," noted Ultraman Mebius.

Rei decided to hold whatever opinion she has, since she never met the Second Child.

Although it seems that she didn't have to wait long.

Suzuhara, Aida, and Ikari stared in disbelief, others in curiosity, as the foreign girl wrote her name on the chalkboard.

She stood proudly in front of the class.

"I'm Soryu Asuka Langley. Nice to meet you."